Family Halloween
by hayleyherondale
Summary: After the War, Harry tries to unite both sides of his family on Halloween. ONE SHOT.


The war was a turning point in Harry Potter's life, a point where he could change the perception that the world had always had of him, and more importantly that he had always had of himself. Harry knew the public had seen himself as the boy who lived, but he knew that he hadn't actually lived at all. His life had one focus; Destroy Voldemort. His life had one goal; Destroy Voldemort, and he was nothing but a tool to fit those goals. But after the Second War, Harry realized that he had more chances of changing the perception of him. He realized that the people that had died for him, had done so because they loved him- they were his family.

Harry hadn't thought that he'd had a family for most of his development, but now he realized that they didn't see him as The-Boy-Who-Lived, he was… as he had told Hagrid all those years ago… "Just Harry". So now, he wanted to treasure his family and show them what they really meant to him. It was Halloween, and he wanted to bring his old family together with his new family, and show them just how the war had changed his perception.

"Harry?" his girlfriend Ginny called, leaning precariously against the door frame. "Mum's in the floo, and she ready to come over. Is that okay?"

He turned, and faced his girlfriend, striding toward Ginny with a smile on his face. He leant in and pressed a delicate kiss to her cheek, feeling the warmth of her blush caressing his lips. It had been 182 days since the war ended, but it had taken Harry some time to realize that Ginny was the one he wanted. He'd had a lot to deal with; juggling his aspirations for the future, weighing up his responsibilities of raising Teddy and figuring out how he could manage his anger about the war.

"Yeah that's fine, call them in and I'll go and get Teddy"

He turned and admired his girlfriend's bum as she walked away, smiling shyly to himself. He couldn't believe that his life was finally turning around.

As he walked into the kitchen, balancing six month old Teddy on his waist, he couldn't help the smile that flashed across his face as he saw his family gathered in the kitchen. Arthur and Molly were standing in the kitchen, hugging one another. Ron and Hermione were arguing about something, being watched carefully by Charlie and George- the red headed boys were trying really hard not to laugh at their brothers' misfortune. Bill and Fleur were sitting on the kitchen table, kissing each other passionately, and then there was Ginny… staring at him with a quizzical look on her face, her hand opened by her side, waiting for him to fill its empty spot.

"Where's Fred?" Harry asked, watching the group with a smile on his face "I kinda wanted everyone to be here"

George smiled, and waved his hand dismissively "He's still closing up the shop. Verity couldn't do it herself for some strange reason, but I'm sure he'll be there soon."

Harry laughed as he noticed that even conversation hadn't interrupted Ron and Hermione's argument. The pair had a tendency to get so absorbed in the argument, to the point where nothing else mattered and then, when it was finally over, they got so absorbed in making up that the world didn't exist either. Harry was so grateful when they moved out of Grimmauld place, because those nights of making up weren't worth the happiness that they had. Sex noises from your two best friends was not something that you needed in your life.

"Harry dear," Molly asked, pottering over to him, choking him in a tight embrace "So why have you called us here today"

Harry raised one eyebrow confused, turning to face Ginny. Ginny's face blushed and she murmured under her voice, and Harry instantly knew that she'd told her family nothing. A wry grin spread over his face as he realized, choosing not to kiss his girlfriend to thank her. Ginny knew how important this day was for him, and she was allowing him to explain completely. Harry reached over and picked up a broom, holding it out toward the group.

"It's a bit too hard for me to explain right now, but if everyone could just grab this broom. I want to take you somewhere really important to me."

He watched as all his family grabbed onto the broom, and he couldn't help but feel a swell of emotion as he watched the varying degrees of skin tones grasp around the broom handle. It didn't matter about the contrast of his dark skin tone against the freckled tone of his girlfriend; it didn't matter about the scars that marred Ron's arms or Bill's. It didn't matter about the extra weight on Mrs Weasley's arm or the frail looking bones of Fleur's arms. They were such a diverse group, but it didn't matter, because they were family.

Harry reached into his pocket and waved his wand over the broom, watching as the blue Portus spell surrounded the broomstick, feeling the warmth of magic flow through his hands.

"Are you ready?" he smiled, meeting the eye of every person in the group. He felt another warmth then, as every person smiled back at him. It was the warmth of love. He finished his look around the circle and looked down at baby Edward on his lap; Teddy. His smile grew larger as he began the countdown "1. 2. 3."

He felt the signature pull on his navel as the portkey activated, and tightened his grip on Teddy. This day was just as important to him, or at least, Harry hoped that it would be. He blinked through the spots on his vision and heard the increase of breath from Hermione.

Looking around him, Harry tried not to be reminded of the last time he was at this cemetery. This time he wasn't going to be attacked by Nagini- because there was no Nagini. There was no Voldemort. There was only family, and on this day- 17 years after his parents death, he wanted his new family to meet the one he never got to meet.

Harry's eyes danced over his parent's tombstone, Remus and Tonks' tombstone and Sirius', before arriving back at the eyes of his family. Hermione's eyes were filled with tears, as was the rest of the women's; and even Ron looked touched.

"I wanted to bring my families together, especially on Halloween, the day that changed it all. I wanted you to see where I kept disappearing to the last month, and most importantly I wanted to show Teddy his parents."

Harry felt Ginny's hand squeeze his shoulder reassuringly, and heard the gaga of Teddy from his hip. It almost sounded like he was starting to say his name… but Harry knew that was ridiculous. "So," he continued, waving his wand and silently summoning the picnic basket that he'd hidden here earlier in the day. "I was thinking we could have dinner here, and just remember…" he motioned toward the tombstones, unable to finish the sentence.

He was surprised that no-one even questioned, instead sitting down and pulling out platters of food and beginning the dinner that he'd so carefully cooked, placing warming charms on until they were ready. They understood how important this was to him, and hey weren't going to let down his (as some would say) childish desire.

"Hey Hermione," Harry said, leaning down to whisper in Hermione's ear "Could you just take Teddy for me, I want to go and get Fred. My whole family deserve to be here."

Teddy let out a small cry as he was transferred from his godfather's arms to his Aunt Hermone's, but Harry tried not to let it affect him, instead focusing on the image of Weasley Wizard Wheezes at Diagon Alley.

Harry knocked on the door of WWW for the fourth time, irritated that Fred wasn't opening the door. He could hear the loud bass of Weird Sisters blaring through the speakers in what he assumed was the back room. It must've been so loud that Fred couldn't hear him, so he opened the door with a simple alohamora and stepped into the flat.

"Fred?" Harry called, turning the corner toward the back room "Fre-"

The second call of Fred's name fell off his lips as he stepped around the corner, seeing the pale blue-ish glow of a ghost distinctly in Fred's shape. It was Fred, just, not.

Harry watched as the ghost turned to face him, the typical confident smile that graced his smile fell, being replaced with a face of complete shock.

"Harry- don't say anything. Don't run away, just hear me out. Yes, I actually am as I look. A ghost. But, it's just… I didn't want to let George down. I got hit with a blasting curse that literally blasted me into a wall and I died."

He blurted out a dry chuckle that Harry couldn't help but laugh along with.

"I died" Fred continued, chuckling to himself. His chuckles slowly deteriorating into tears, but Harry couldn't see them reflecting against the translucent glow of his ghostly pallor. "and I luckily, get to appear as a solid for 364 days of the year, except Halloween. How stereotypical"

Harry sighed, leaning against the wall in defeat. Never in a million years had he expected that someone could be solid and ghostly. Why didn't Remus and Tonks choose to be temporary solid, or Sirius or even… his parents.

"I know what you're thinking Harry, but I didn't choose this. I just think the universe wouldn't let me leave George"

Harry felt the flush of rage consume him, and he couldn't contain it. "The rest of your family, and mine… is at the graveyard honouring Teddy's parents. Don't you think the universe would've wanted Teddy to have his parents? Don't you think the universe would've wanted me to have mine... Merlin Fred. Get over yourself."

Fred floated toward him, and reached out as though to sympathetically pat his shoulder. But his hand merely slipped through Harry's shoulder, leaving him with a cold sense of dread and emptiness as the ghost hand slipped through him.

"I just didn't want to leave George. I didn't want us to no longer be Gred and Forge. So, at least this way… I can be there for him."

Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath in; for their whole relationship Harry had never seen Fred and George apart except for the fateful night where George had lost his ear. Even then, the first person George had asked for was not his mother, nor his girlfriend, but his twin brother. At least Teddy and himself had never known any better, and at least they had each other.

Fred had no-one but George. George had no-one but Fred. They were two peas in a pod, and Harry wasn't going to let his jealousy and his rage ruin that for Fred.

Harry drew his wand out of his pocket and conjured his patronus sending it to the dinner at the graveyard. He spoke softly to the stag, trying to keep the tears out of his voice.

"Fred not feeling well, possibly dragon pox. Stay away if you want to maintain your good immune system. I'm going to stay and make sure that he's looked after. Mione, look after Teddy for me. Give everyone my love. Everyone"

Harry finished his message and watched as his stag cantered away, before turning his eyes back to Fred, who was smiling, a glimmer of hope reflecting in his eyes.

"Can this stay our little secret Harry?" Fred asked, the mischievous streak clear in his voice.

"I'm not going to keep it from everyone forever, but you have my word until next Halloween. Don't lie to your family" Harry smiled, motioning to the Firewhiskey on the tall boy.

Fred nodded, and gave his friend a smile. "Thanks Harry."

**PROMPT: Somebody is secretly a ghost/paranormal creature. Halloween is the only night they can't hide their appearance/traits.**


End file.
